The Chosen Ones
by Berrybanana05
Summary: The prophecy states that the Chosen One is a boy Marked by Voldemort as his equal, is born in the last days of July, and has parents who have thrice defied Voldemort... So when Voldemort dies at Draco Malfoy's hand, it's safe to say the Wizarding World has more than a few questions.
1. At

**A/N:**

Hey all!  
I hope you like the fic :)

This is basically based off of a mashup of the books, the movies, and possibly a few fanfics as they've kind of all blurred into one in my head by now!

* * *

 _"-DRACO!"_  
His father's harsh hiss practically echoed in the silence.  
He ignored it, biting cracked lips until he tasted blood, his eyes red and raw.  
His father called again.  
A thousand heads turned in Draco's direction. Their eyes settled on him, an unspoken question hanging in the air. His eyes didn't meet them.  
His father spoke again but no reply came…  
The silence was deafening.

Draco's entire body trembled, grief, fear, and anger crashing and churning within him like a wild storm.  
He was so tired of this. So tired of this pitiful existence of lies and fear.  
He just wanted it to be over- he didn't want to hurt or scar or kill-  
The Slytherin forced back the thoughts and dragged up the remnants of his pride and determination.  
He could do this.  
He had planned for this day for nearly a year, meticulously arranged every last detail until the plan was flawless- he just never believed it would truly come.  
He never believed he'd be faced with the sight of Potter's corpse.

His mother's gentle voice joined his father's and silently, he exhaled.  
Soft syllables broke through the storm and he could hold back no longer.  
He had waited too long anyway and lingering even a moment longer would confirm the Dark Lord's suspicions about his loyalties.  
Some stubborn part of him had hesitated, however, and if he wasn't careful, he- and the rest of the Wizarding World- would pay heavily for that hesitance.

Grey eyes met blue and slowly, silently, he emerged from the throng of students and crossed the courtyard.  
The students' eyes followed him.  
They tracked every step, every swing of his arms, every breath from his lips that condensed in the freezing air.  
He knew they were judging him and he didn't blame them. He knew how he appeared.  
But he knew something they didn't.

"Ah-!"  
A thin smile stretched across the snakelike countenance of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and as he opened his arms in a show of welcome, Draco broke eye contact with his mother, narrowly missing the hint of a warning hidden in their depths.  
The Slytherin cast one final glance at Potter's limp form. His skin was practically grey, his form lifeless.  
Something cold and hard and _angry_ stirred in him at that sight.  
There was something so fundamentally _wrong_ in the way his head lolled to the side, in the pallor of his face and how he would never argue with Draco in the way they always had- with fire that boiled his blood and a sharp wit that spilled it.  
He tore his attention from the boy, dragging his gaze back to the man- the monster- who had started this all.

" _Well done_ , Draco."  
The skeletal arms wrapped around him in a mock embrace.  
Subtly, the elder wand brushed his cheek and he flinched- the way it was positioned, he wasn't sure whether the man was warning the students not to attack him, or positioning himself to curse Draco senseless.  
The remaining snippet of logic in his brain pointed out that that wouldn't exactly make anyone want to join the nutjob's army but perhaps that was the plan-

Then all logic died, replaced by a sudden onslaught of fury that finally broke free from its prison at the very bottom of his mind.  
Brilliant green light exploded from the pair and through the blur, the Slytherin could've sworn he caught a flash of green eyes.  
Green eyes the exact same hue as Potter's irises.  
Green eyes the exact same hue as the killing curse.  
He closed his eyes.

 _"-DRACO!"_


	2. The Close

**A/N:**

Harry's POV :)

* * *

Harry tried to keep his breathing even and silent as he lay limp in Hagrid's arms, desperately keeping up the ruse. He didn't know when he'd leap from the half-giant's embrace to rejoin the battle and give Voldemort the fright of his life but it would have to be soon.  
He couldn't take the weight of another life on his shoulders.

He heard Voldemort's mocking cry ring out across the courtyard and McGonagall's scream of " **NO!** " that seemed practically _torn_ from her lips.  
Guilt clawed at him but he suppressed it.  
This was his _one_ and _only_ chance at defeating Voldemort. He could only do this once.

The Saviour waited, shrouded in darkness, listening keenly for the right moment to act.  
Voldemort monologued for a moment longer, before finally ordering the students and staff to join him.  
Harry wasn't surprised that he was met with silence.

He was surprised, however, at the harsh, quick whispers of " **Draco!** " that broke it.  
He assumed Malfoy would've crossed to the Death-Eaters' side already, perhaps as soon as they set foot on Hogwarts' stone ground.  
Worry twisted in his gut as the whispers continued with increasing urgency until finally Narcissa's voice joined them.  
He hated the Slytherin but didn't want him to _die_.  
Then he heard the soft footfalls as Malfoy- Draco- crossed the courtyard.  
He held back a sigh of relief; he didn't think he could take so much as one more student's death taking place on these grounds.

"Well done, Draco." Voldemort said, voice filled with fake approval.  
Then it happened.  
Harry's heart was just about settling into a regular rhythm again when blinding green shone from behind his eyelids.  
He very nearly cried out in shock but instead, opened his eyes and found himself caught in the Malfoy heir's burning gaze.  
The magic of the Killing Curse twisted and spat in the air around him.  
That steely silver was forever branded into his retina and just as quickly as it came, the green disappeared, taking that gaze with it.

Harry snapped his eyes shut again before he could see what had become of the unfortunate Slytherin.  
For some reason, even after all the boy had done over the years to him and his friends, the weight of the title 'Saviour' bore down even more heavily on Harry than ever before.  
He only hoped he could live up to it for the sake of everyone still left standing.


	3. I

**A/N:  
Key context bits for this fic:**

\- The Silver Trio is Draco, Blaise, and Pansy. They used to be very close friends and know each other (practically) from birth. The reason we don't see Draco with them all the time is that they're almost always in separate classes (I envision there being two sides to the timetable and Pansy and Blaise are on one half and Draco is on the other). He prefers to hang out with them outside of class anyway.

\- No house is purely 'good' or 'evil', they all contain wizards of varying moralities.

-This is obviously canon divergent

-Draco will obviously be an absolute prick at times-

-Narcissa Malfoy is a BAMF 3

* * *

"-DRACO!"  
Narcissa's shrill cry pierced the silence and suddenly noise was the only thing heard.  
Two dark forms collapsed to the ground- both Voldemort and Draco- and Narcissa was fighting to get forward, practically clawing at Lucius as he half-heartedly attempted to restrain her.  
The murmur of voices wasn't loud enough, however, to drown out her near-feral hiss as she dared her husband to try to hold her back when her son was motionless on the ground bare metres away.  
The witch wouldn't need a wand to make him regret his decision for life.  
Slowly, reluctantly, he began to loosen his grip on her arm but then one of the figures shifted.  
A man in black rose slowly, brushing off his arms.  
It seemed as if the whole world was waiting with bated breath, not quite daring to believe what they were seeing. Then the figure looked up and Narcissa met the fearful grey eyes of her son.  
"The Dark Lord- V-" He paused and forced himself to spit the name out, " _Voldemort_ is dead."

Then the courtyard erupted into chaos once more.

The noise died down quickly at signals from the remaining leaders on either side and Draco's gaze was ripped from his mother as he hears the tentative call of Granger behind him. "Harry-? Harry is that you?"  
The Slytherin supposed that that was a fair assumption- that the bold-hearted Gryffindor could've pulled out a few strands of Draco's platinum hair and shoved it in a flask of polyjuice or cast a few simple charms and masked his appearance.  
He recalled a sudden flash of green eyes as he stared through the blur of the killing curse but Draco quickly shook the thought off as a fear-prompted hallucination.  
The body lying in Hagrid's arms could have been a fake. Harry could be lying there, pretending until the right moment to act.  
Their Saviour and best friend could be living and breathing having finally slain his enemy and fulfilled his destiny… After all, he was the Chosen One. No-one else could defeat Voldemort.  
But he knew the Dark Lord would've been more careful this time- he wouldn't have let the Boy Who Lived live twice.

He had no anger or prejudice, no passion left boiling in his blood to lace his reply with and his voice came out quiet and empty.  
"I'm sorry, Granger."  
Those three words, that name that had once held so much loathing were all she and the other students needed to hear. He closed his eyes as a torrent of questions came crashing down on him from one side and threatening howls and curses rained from the other.  
"What's going on?"  
"I'll rip you to shreds you traitorous scum!"  
"That can't be true!"  
"You'll wish you were never born when I'm finished with you!"  
"I don't buy it for a second. How the hell could _Malfoy_ take out You-Know-Who?"

Only one voice could make it through.  
"Draco? Draco is that really _you_?"  
His eyes peeked open.  
"Mother?"  
She stared at him from across the courtyard and suddenly the clamour of voices and the raised wands blurred into nothing.  
He felt his magic flowing through the air, reinforcing the barrier it had made between the students and the Death-Eaters the moment he had struck Voldemort, brushing past his mother to ensure it was her and not someone like Bellatrix in disguise. Finally, deeming her words honest and her aura correct, it created a tiny gap to let her through. It closed the instant she crossed it, leaving his father on the other side.  
"Mother."

She broke into a run, crossing the courtyard to meet him in the centre.  
Narcissa wrapped him into a hug letting years of fear and anger sweep away until all that was left was her fierce protectiveness and her son in her arms.  
She hated that it had come to this, that her son had had to claim the birthright he never should've had…  
But he did, and he shouldered the burden without so much as a hint of complaint.  
Pride flickered warmly in her chest.

Then he pulled away and she released him, standing firmly at his back with the same thin-lipped smile she always wore. No-one could miss the glint in her eyes, however, and as Draco stepped forwards to speak the courtyard fell back into silence.  
No one wanted to miss a word of this.

The Slytherin cleared his throat.  
"My name is Draco Malfoy.  
I have killed Voldemort, also known to some as Tom Riddle."  
A few whispered exchanges broke out at this statement but they quickly petered into silence.  
"I believe Harry Potter is dead."  
He heard a sob or two at that and winced, heart clenching painfully.  
"If I didn't, I never would've come out and done what I did here today. It would be… Wrong… To cause his sacrifices to end Voldemort to be in vain."

Narcissa shifted at his words but didn't speak up.  
The boy, Potter, would reveal himself if he wished.  
For all she knew, he would gladly take this opportunity to fade into the background and never return to the public eye but something told her he could never do such a thing.  
His friends would be heartbroken- were heartbroken- at the loss of their Saviour.

Draco turned to the Light side.  
To his great surprise, no-one opened their mouth to hurl insults or hex him as he searched for the right words to say.  
He looked up and met their gazes.  
"I was a cruel and merciless bully to many of you. I hurt you- verbally, physically, magically… And for that I am deeply sorry. I know pontificating here, to you, will do nothing to change that, but I hope that in some way I can one day atone for my past and future mistakes."  
His voice cracked.  
"Your losses are great but they are not in vain. You fought valiantly. You did everything you could and you have triumphed. I have no doubt that Th- Voldemort- lied to you and that Harry Potter died trying to save you all."  
The unspoken addition of, _"You couldn't have saved him. He would be so proud."_ hung in the air.  
"You fought as one whole- every house working in tandem. You stood united under one cause- I can only hope that will continue long after we leave this ground."

Confused faces glanced around, noticing slowly the mix of tie colours in the crowd.  
Red was most prominent, closely followed by streaks of yellow and blue. It was only after a moment that concealment charms were lifted and spots of green and familiar, scared faces were spotted throughout the crowd.  
Draco knew with no little pride that almost all of the rest of the Snakes were guarding the dungeons where terrified first years hid, unable to face the thought of facing their parents in combat but unwilling to stand aside and watch the slaughter.

Then slowly, he turned to the Dark Side of the courtyard.  
"And you. You have murdered, schemed, lied, and tortured for decades, all for nothing. Your Lord is dead and you can never bring him back."  
He paused for a moment, letting that sink in.  
Then he spoke again.  
"But someone I used to see every year in these halls, someone whose death I caused- believed anyone could be redeemed. He believed that everyone was _worthy_ of redemption. Now don't think for one moment that I am foolish and soft-hearted enough to believe that even _half_ of you could be _worthy_ as he believed you could be-"  
He waited for a few angry protests to die down before he continued.  
"But I know there are some of you, young and frightened, who were forced down this path.  
I know you are scared and unwilling. I know your fears intimately, have faced similar obstacles, and I know that if you want to, you _can_ change.  
Now I know we'll never be saints or even truly Light like Pot-" He paused, not sure whether it was still right to call him Potter in this context or appropriate to call him Harry. After a moment, he settled for his safest bet, "Like Harry Potter was, but we can be more than this."  
He yanked back his sleeve, exposing the dark lines of ink that lay beneath.  
The Slytherin heard the sharp whispers from behind, the mutterings of distrust from both sides.

He extended his hand.

"You just have to trust me.  
I won't let any harm come to you."

He heard the hisses of the enraged Gryffindors, the quiet murmurs of the staff.  
No-one knew quite how to react, nor what in the name of Merlin was going on.  
All they knew was that this was history in the making and this unexpected speech could change the Wizarding World for good.

One by one, he saw trembling hands lower masks revealing terrified faces of Hogwarts students.`  
Curses and hexes flew at them but he blocked every last one with his shields, extending his main shield to keep them safe. He knew it was impossible, that no one would ever side with him on this ( _Slytherin Prince, Pureblood Supremacist, Death Eater-_ ) but he had to try. He knew what it was like.  
His father caught his eye, a plea in the older man's eye.  
Draco looked away, back to the defecting Death Eaters. His father could handle himself.

The odd mix of students slowly walked towards him. He recognised Slytherins, Ravenclaws, even a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor. He wasn't surprised- he knew Voldemort's way with words, his ability to name your darkest desires like it was nothing- but his fellow students sure were, letting out quiet gasps and exclamations of names.  
The gaggle of teenagers hung back and eyed him uneasily…  
All but two, that is.  
Pansy and Blaise threw aside their dark robes and ran towards him, hesitating only a meter before reaching his side.  
"Pansy. Blaise."  
His voice was steady and careful.  
They nodded curtly in return and then stepped into his tight embrace.  
He knew things would never go back to the way they were before and there would undoubtably be questions, so many _questions_ but at least his friends were back at his side.  
He hoped that maybe one day they could repair the damage that had been done to their once unbreakable bond.  
But for now he found himself swept up in the feeling of Blaise's warm, strong arms around his torso and Pansy's delicate hand on his back and he felt indescribable ebullience bubble up in him.  
The trio let out strange, almost hysterical laughs and their laughter quickly dissolved into tears and for once he didn't feel that it made him weak-  
It made him complete.

For one, brilliant moment the world made sense again.

Of course, that's when the curses started flying.  
They pounded on both sides of the barrier and rebounded off of Draco's smaller shields that defended him and the defecting Death Eaters.  
He felt his magic straining to keep up the shields. The shields quickly became visible, translucent silver domes shimmering in the air and the attacks increased tenfold.  
It was almost like the idiotic students had completely lost their marbles as they attacked their only defence, but he supposed that's what he got for trying to save people as unredeemable as him. By the time the staff had stopped them and the students realised what they were doing, it was too late.

The barrier shattered and one curse, screamed louder than any of the others came dancing their way like an emerald beacon of death.  
Draco heard his mother's cry as he twisted sharply, trying to force his friends out of the way and take their place in the firing line in a foolish, _Gryffindorish_ display of selflessness.  
They refused to budge.  
The trio stood there, each desperately trying to shield the others as death came careering towards them.  
They never stood a chance.  
At least, they wouldn't have if it hadn't been for another reckless display of Gryffindor idiocy.

"PROTEGO-!"


	4. Open

**A/N:**

Ah yes, I completely forgot to add the disclaimer on the first few chapters-  
I do NOT own Harry Potter.  
If I did... Well... Let's just say there would be a few changes... (*cough* FRED-! *cough*)

* * *

 _"_ _Of course, that's when the curses started flying._

 _They pounded on both sides of the barrier and rebounded off of Draco's smaller shields that defended him and the defecting Death Eaters.  
He felt his magic straining to keep up the shields. The shields quickly became visible, translucent silver domes shimmering in the air and the attacks increased tenfold.  
It was almost like the idiotic students had completely lost their marbles as they attacked their only defence, but he supposed that's what he got for trying to save people as unredeemable as him. By the time the staff had stopped them and the students realised what they were doing, it was too late._

 _The barrier shattered and one curse, screamed louder than any of the others came dancing their way like an emerald beacon of death.  
Draco heard his mother's cry as he twisted sharply, trying to force his friends out of the way and take their place in the firing line in a foolish, Gryffindorish display of selflessness.  
They refused to budge.  
The trio stood there, each desperately trying to shield the others as death came careering towards them.  
They never stood a chance.  
At least, they wouldn't have if it hadn't been for another reckless display of Gryffindor idiocy._

 _"_ _PROTEGO-!"_

* * *

Harry simply couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
Malfoy's voice rang out across the courtyard, clear but with an edge of fear to it.  
He was alive.  
And even more shockingly? He seemed to believe that he of all people had managed to topple Voldemort.  
Even without the prophecy's pretty limiting criteria he simply didn't think Malfoy had it in him.  
After that, everything passed in a blur.  
He faintly heard Hermione call out his name and very nearly replied but heard the Slytherin get there first.  
"She thought he was me…" He realised.

Shouts and threats were hurled back and forth across the grounds and then suddenly, it was silent, and Malfoy was speaking.  
Harry clung to every word.  
He heard emotion spill into the boy's voice until it cracked halfway through a sentence, listened as Draco offered apologies, and praised the students for their bravery.  
Then he heard anger seep into the wavering tone and he just knew the wizard was addressing Voldemort's supporters.  
Each word was like a lash of a whip, cold and unrelenting. Then, unbelievably, it softened again and Draco-  
(when did Malfoy become Draco?)- was offering a chance at redemption.  
A chance he had no right to give but still gave with the slightest of hopes that perhaps others would give it too.

Silence fell.  
Then there was a shuffle of feet, a rustling of robes, and two names were stated.  
"Pansy. Blaise."

Harry heard laughter and sobbing and peeked through thick lashes to see Draco embracing two people- Parkinson and Zabini he assumed- and the smallest of smiles curved his lips.  
Then he saw hands tighten around wands.  
He knew it was going to happen before it did and suddenly all he could hear were hexes and jinxes, curses and charms-

"STUPEFY!"

"CRUCIO!"

"FLIPENDO!"

"ORBIS!"

"CONFRINGO!"

They kept coming, seemingly endlessly until Harry heard glass smashing- or was it something else?- and a horrifying shriek of-

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

His heart caught in his throat and Harry leapt from Hagrid's arms with only one thought in mind.  
 _Protect_.  
He snatched his wand from his pocket and in one sweeping motion, cast a spell.  
"PROTEGO-!"

A barrier materialised but the spell shot through it, a sizzling noise crackling in the air as it dissolved the magic.  
The wizard felt panic spark in his chest.  
 _What the hell?!_

He dimly became aware of cries of his friends and fellow students in the background, screaming his name through the haze.  
He shook his head, desperately trying to clear it.  
Then he remembered.  
Nothing could counter a killing curse except a living thing or-  
His eyes widened.  
He pointed his wand in the direction of the nearest column.

"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"

Rocks crunched, the stone archways shuddered, and with one mighty CRACK the column came loose.  
Harry dragged his wand past his face and just in the nick of time, the column connected with the spell, barely a meter from the trio of Slytherins.  
It exploded, chunks of steaming rock flying across the courtyard.  
Harry took several long, shuddering breaths.  
Then he collapsed to his knees, savouring the feel of solid, reliable ground beneath him. 

"…Potter."  
Draco's words came out as barely a whisper.  
Harry looked up, a wry but exhausted smile working its way onto his face.  
"Hey, Malfoy."

The other wizard seemed to get over his shock as his drawling tone that Harry hadn't heard in so long returned and a small smirk curved his lips.  
"Seems even death gives you a pass, eh, Potter?"

Then the blood drained from his face.  
Harry's smile faded and he turned to see what exactly was worrying the boy so much… And then the adrenaline from the situation was slowly replaced with growing fear as he remembered.  
"Oh."  
"Oh indeed, Potter." 

'Oh' didn't begin to cover it. Staring at him down the length of her wand was a furious Bellatrix Lestrange, more madness glinting in her night-black eyes than he'd ever seen before.  
He was completely and utterly fucked.  
He, Harry Potter was on his knees, wand forgotten at his side on the Death Eaters' half of the courtyard, and Malfoy was a good ten meters away, his friends probably about twenty.  
His nearest ally was Hagrid who was all but forgotten as the Death Eaters circled closer.

He caught the half-giant's eye and subtly shook his head.  
 _No. Please no. I can't watch another person I care about die, I just CAN'T.  
_ Determination and anger flickered across the man's face and somehow Harry knew that his magical 'resurrection' meant that Hagrid would be more protective than ever, determined to never again see the boy he cared about dead in his arms.  
Harry shook his head firmer this time, a plea forming on his lips as a few Death Eaters turned, raising their wands-  
Then Draco spoke. 

"Wait!"  
The eyes returned to him and Harry could've shouted the boy's praises.  
Instead, he stayed silent, his whole body shaking.  
"Wait." He repeated. "I think we can come to some kind of arrangement- one that benefits us all."  
Harry knew he was stalling, mind racing at a thousand miles per minute. Bellatrix would never give into his demands and no 'light' wizard would ever even consider allowing such a deal to take place.

"It's not worth it, Malfoy."  
Glancing up, Harry's eyes met his. He felt the tension between them crackle like a spark of electricity.  
Malfoy swallowed.  
"You're wrong."

Harry caught sight of a cruel smile on Bellatrix's face.  
"That's not what you were saying when you spoke of how tragically unworthy we all are."  
Her smile twisted into a sneer and she drove the tip of her wand into Harry's forehead, the terrified wizard leaning back as far as his position would allow.

"Yes, well things were different then!"  
Draco was grasping at straws, saying the first thing that comes to mind.

"Different as in we didn't have your precious Saviour kneeling at our- oh wait- no… He isn't, is he? Isn't your Saviour, because YOU, dear nephew, have replaced him."

For once, there was silence as the whole courtyard contemplated her words.  
Then the mad witch broke it again.  
"You want to make a deal, nephew?"  
Draco nodded cautiously, distrust painted starkly on his features.  
It was as if the whole world was holding its breath and all logic had gone to the dogs because nobody protested or tried to stop Malfoy from making a deal with the devil- all they did was stare.

Bellatrix laughed.  
"Then tell me. How did you do it? How did you defy the Prophecy and kill the Dark Lord?"  
Harry tried to glance over his shoulder, curiosity winning out over fear, but the witch only pressed her wand more firmly into his forehead. 

"And you'll release Potter if I do?"

"Perhaps."

Harry could practically see the scowl on Malfoy's countenance.  
"Swear it to me."

He could hear the magic running in the undertones of Draco's voice, weaving into the words.  
"You'll free Potter, ALIVE, and let him-" A pause. "And Hagrid, ALIVE, cross to our side of the courtyard. You won't attempt to kill, maim, or injure them in any way, shape, or form. When you do that, I will tell you exactly how I was able to kill Voldemort. Then you will leave without injuring or harming any of the students in any way, shape, or form."

Bellatrix considered his words carefully and Harry almost got the feeling that they were constructing some odd variation of the Unbreakable Vow with their careful language that was simply humming with magic.  
"Do we have a deal?" The voice was calculating and calm with a hint of tension running underneath. He had clearly considered his words meticulously.

Bellatrix cocked her head,  
"Not quite. You see, you've left yourself too many loopholes."  
Draco tensed.  
She grinned.

"You will tell us everything of how you came to defeat the Dark Lord, omitting no detail or name involved."  
Harry saw the Slytherin's wand hand twitch.

"And then, when you are done, you will return with us to Malfoy Manor, _alone_."  
Harry's heart plunged into his boots.

"What?!"

* * *

Hey guys!  
I can't believe I'm posting frequently- it's a miracle!

Anyways, what do you think? What do you think really happened with Voldemort? Have either of them (Bella or Draco) left any loopholes? Why the heck does Draco care about what happens to Harry so much? How come Draco was able to defy the prophecy?

Leave your thoughts in the comments!  
(Reviews are love! ^^)


	5. The Deal

**A/N:**

Heyo all!  
This WAS a 3K chapter- the longest so far- but I split it into two after a bit of deliberation. Hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER:  
I don't own Harry Potter! :)

If you're confused about the way I'm writing this btw, it kind-of jumps from Draco's POV of a situation one chapter, Harry's POV the next.

* * *

 _She grinned.  
_ _"_ _You will tell us everything of how you came to defeat the Dark Lord, omitting no detail or name involved."  
_ _Harry saw the Slytherin's wand hand twitch._

 _"_ _And then, when you are done, you will return with us to Malfoy Manor, alone."  
_ _Harry's heart plunged into his boots.  
_ _"What?!"_

* * *

Draco couldn't believe his eyes. He wouldn't believe them, in fact, he downright refused.  
Because that couldn't be Harry Potter diving out with his wand firmly in his grasp.  
That couldn't be the Saviour of the Wizarding World who stood there with such desperation in his voice to save a boy he hated.  
It was impossible.  
And yet it was.

 _The idiot had attempted to block the Unforgivable with a shielding charm- idiot Potter, the killing curse cannot be blocked with such a mediocre spell, or any spell for that matter- and had then stood there, gaping like a fish when he failed.  
A whisper circulated among the students behind and within moments, they all had been screaming his name.  
"HARRY!"_

 _And yet the boy had paid no attention to them.  
Instead he had appeared to be in a daze. Slowly, his eyes cleared and purpose took confusion's place.  
With a sharp yell of "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!", Harry tore one of Hogwart's many pillars from its foundations and dragged it to intercept the curse_.

And now, moments after the fear-induced haze had left him, Draco managed to squeak out Harry's name.  
"…Potter."  
The Gryffindor glanced up and flashed him a smile.  
"Hey, Malfoy."  
Merlin, he looked exhausted. Even his voice held a slight worn-out rasp.  
Draco couldn't begin to imagine how the boy had ended up behind enemy lines- clearly something foolish and hero-complex induced- but he knew whatever it was had been straining at best.

He reluctantly pulled himself together and attempted his familiar drawl. Nothing broke tension like a badly-placed joke.  
"Seems even death gives you a pass eh, Potter?"  
For a moment he was pleased as Harry's smile widened and then his gaze travelled upwards to the wild mane of frizzy black hair and the glinting eyes that hovered behind.  
 _Shit_.  
Bellatrix had a feral look to her, wand out and a gleam in her eye he had thankfully never been on the receiving end of before now.  
Harry twisted to see what had soured Draco's mood and uttered only a simple, "Oh."  
The word, for all its inadequacies, summed up the situation perfectly albeit in an irritatingly casual way.

His aunt's lips curled into a smirk.  
"Oh, indeed, Potter."  
Loathing was layered thinly in her tone, her normally chaotic anger concentrated into terrifyingly calm words.  
Potter was dead, plain and simple.  
He was suddenly very glad to have the added protection of Blaise, Pansy, and his mother at his back.

Death Eaters slowly loomed closer, silver masks glinting in the dull light of the sun, wands drawn at the ready.  
Draco absent-mindedly noted the Saviour's pleading glances to his Half-Giant friend, Hagrid.  
Draco was rooted to the spot. His tongue was tied, his brain refused to function, and every possible spell incantation had vanished from his mind.  
 _I'm going to watch Potter die._

The thought alone was enough to stir the cold, angry Something from before into action.  
His voice cut through the air, shaking and desperate.  
"Wait!"

All eyes in the courtyard landed on him.  
"Wait." He repeated, taking a deep breath as he attempted to steady his voice.  
 _Think as a Slytherin.  
_ "I think we can come to some kind of arrangement- one that benefits us all."  
 _I will not owe you a damn thing, Potter. I refuse._  
And yet at this rate he would owe the Gryffindor for not only saving his life but also the lives of his family and his friends, and for unintentionally helping him maintain his wealth and his sanity over the years for the rest of their surely short lives.  
And yet there were other reasons he would most likely never reveal.  
Some things were just too personal.

Harry spoke.  
"It's not worth it, Malfoy."  
Their eyes met- soft green against polished silver- and Draco felt a spark.  
He swallowed.  
"You're wrong."

He broke eye contact and focused on Bellatrix.  
She looked almost amused.  
"That's not what you were saying when you spoke of how tragically unworthy we all are."  
Her smile twisted into a sneer and she drove the tip of her wand into Harry's forehead, the terrified wizard leaning back as far as his position would allow.

Draco's heart fluttered in fear.  
"Yes, well, things were different then!"  
His voice sounded desperate, even to him.

He felt an unpleasant feeling roll in his gut at her scathing reply, guilt clawing at his insides.  
He could never replace the boy who lived, but he had just stolen his Fate.  
Draco had made every last sacrifice the boy had ever made for his 'destiny' meaningless.

He didn't even realise he was lost in thought until his aunt's voice broke through.  
"You want to make a deal, nephew?"  
He'd have to be careful. She was off her rocker, yes, but before Azkaban took its toll on her she was a sharp-minded Slytherin through and through.  
He nodded just once.  
His whole body was tense.  
No-one dared to break the silence but her.

With a mad, cackling laugh she demanded he tell her how he conquered Destiny and Death and had slain their precious Lord.  
He considered every word carefully, grinding his teeth in frustration.  
She took his silence as a cue to extract her wand, working the tip into the flesh of the ex-Saviour's forehead.  
"And you'll release Potter if I do?" He managed, finally.

She shrugged, all too casually for his liking.  
'Perhaps."

He scowled fiercely.  
"Swear it to me."  
That was enough to garner her full interest.  
He laced his words with magic and their eyes met, both of them fully aware of the gravity of what they were doing.  
This deal would be Unbreakable. Worse than it, actually. The fate of one who broke such a thing was much, much worse than death. Draco suppressed a shudder.

"You'll free Potter, ALIVE, and let him-" He paused for the briefest moment to think. Harry was clearly overly attached to the Half-Giant. He'd never forgive him if Draco let the half-breed die…  
"And Hagrid," He decided, "ALIVE, cross to our side of the courtyard. You won't attempt to kill, maim, or injure them in any way, shape, or form. When you do that, I will tell you exactly how I was able to kill Voldemort. Then you will leave without injuring or harming any of the students in any way, shape, or form.  
He was careful to put extra emphasis on those last few words. He didn't want to risk the chance of one of the Death Eaters noticing a neat little loophole and taking full advantage of it.  
He watched his aunt warily.  
"Do we have a deal?"

His spirits plummeted as she slowly tilted her head, a grin stretching across her face.  
"Not quite. You see, you've left yourself too many loopholes."  
Their gazes connected.

He felt as if the ground had been swept from beneath his feet as he observed the terrifying sanity that glittered in the inky depths of her eyes.  
 _He'd been tricked._

"You will tell us everything of how you came to defeat the Dark Lord, omitting no detail or name involved."  
He swallowed. That was too specific for his frantically conjured plans.  
The wizard resisted the urge to glance at his mother.  
He couldn't drag her into this.

But the crazed witch wasn't yet done.  
The words that tumbled from her lips next, so cleverly concocted he felt a small stirring of regret for not thinking of this possibility himself, doomed him.  
"And then, when you are done, you will return with us to Malfoy Manor, _alone_."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Potter beat him to it.  
"What?!"  
The word was out of Potter's mouth before the moron had a chance to think it through.  
Bellatrix's lip curled unpleasantly and she jabbed at the boy's forehead harshly, the wand surely leaving a visible imprint by now.  
"Now, now, Potter. You don't think I'd let this opportunity for revenge slip past, do you?" She turned thoughtful for a moment.  
"And Potter cannot harm me, nor any other person on our side of this Courtyard until your explanation is finished."

Draco's heart thundered in his chest.  
Bella had him. As much as he loathed to reveal all of the information she wanted- he was going to have to tell people SOME of what had happened but he had planned to twist the truth slightly with his built-up immunity to veritaserum so as not to reveal _everything_ \- but he knew that if he didn't, Harry was finished.

He glanced down into those horrifyingly green eyes that screamed at him to STOP and THINK and he sighed.  
"I accept your terms."

And just like that, his fate was sealed.

* * *

Well, I hope you enjoyed that. The next chapter is probably one of the angstiest so far and the rating will may jump up a grade thanks to a torture scene I didn't mean to add (my writing kind of ran away with itself). 3


	6. Torturous Tea Party

_A/N:_

 _WARNINGS FOR TORTURE (ACCIDENTAL), MANIPULATION, AND ANGST._

There is a warning in the actual text labelled '—TRIGGER WARNING'—' for those who wish to risk it. 3

 _—_

 _Draco's heart thundered in his chest.  
Bella had him. As much as he loathed to reveal all of the information she wanted- he was going to have to tell people SOME of what had happened but he had planned to twist the truth slightly with his built-up immunity to veritaserum so as not to reveal everything- but he knew that if he didn't, Harry was finished.  
_ _He glanced down into those horrifyingly green eyes that screamed at him to STOP and THINK and he sighed.  
_ _"I accept your terms."  
_ _And just like that, his fate was sealed._

—

Harry shook his head vehemently. His wild eyes flashed, his wilder hair stuck up like he'd been struck with lightning and it seemed that all common sense had deserted him after hearing Draco's own loss of sanity because he seemed determined to reach his wand and hex anybody in sight. Draco opened his mouth to warn him but it was too late.  
Bella watched with no small amount of amusement as Harry snatched up his wand and aimed it at her, a snarl contorting his features.  
"CRUCIO!"

— TRIGGER WARNING —

Draco dropped like a stone.  
Fire coursed through his veins, every bone in his body splintering, his vision fracturing.  
Screams, ragged and heart-wrenching screams were torn from his throat as he writhed on the ground, gasping for breath, pain too all-encompassing to allow conscious thought. To allow a plea for mercy… A plea for death.

The fire spat and hissed as it ravaged his skin, blistering and tearing and scarring.  
He had never experienced a cruciatus curse like this before. He likely never would again.  
This was born of pure, unadulterated anger and such a striking lack of empathy that might've chilled him to the core if he wasn't already just a pile of smouldering ashes.

And then it just stopped.  
The excruciating pain vanished leaving emptiness in its wake.  
Draco wasn't sure which one he preferred, now. The sudden absence of the choking agony had left his mind inches from shattering completely.  
He vaguely registered three faces, two horrified, one livid, staring down at him-  
"Mother…" He mumbled, hand rising to brush her cheek but coming short at the last moment, dropping into his lap.  
His gaze flicked down at his hands. There was no sign of the wildfire, not a single hint of the charred flesh or white peeking through layers of destroyed tissue.  
Just the ghostly sensation of phantom flames flickering all over his body.

He retched.  
Draco retched and retched until he threw up the entire contents of his stomach, until he was only dry-heaving, barely registering the sensation of a soothing hand rubbing his back, of slender fingers holding back his hair.

—TRIGGER WARNING OVER—

"Poor, ignorant Potter."  
The voice was cruel and clearly pleased. It cut through his haze like a knife and he hated it.

Everything was too loud.  
He could barely think, let alone assign names to faces or faces to voices. The world swam in and out of focus. Draco groaned and swayed slightly, only to be supported by a pair of hands.  
 _What had happened?!_

Some panicked voice stammered something about not meaning to harm him- Draco snorted at that but for the life of him couldn't understand why- and the sly tones of the first voice edged back in.

"Ah yes, but you intended to harm me. Nigh irreparably from the looks of it… I'd hate to think what that would do to a person, that much negative intent packed into one spell. Such a shame that you weren't listening carefully enough, Potter… Perhaps you would've realised that after giving his word you wouldn't harm me that he'd suffer the consequences of whatever you tried to hex me with."

Draco shook his head groggily and forced his brain into action.  
 _THINK_.

The world finally sharpened into focus and he slowly realised what had happened.  
"Potter…" He mumbled.  
Blaise's face darkened and he shot a glare over his shoulder.  
"He crucio'd me…"  
 _By accident_ , his brain added.

Blaise opened his mouth to say something but Draco just shook his head.  
"Right blazer pocket. Red vial." He managed.

Pansy nodded and like a flash she had the tiny bottle pinched between manicured fingers. She uncorked the bottle with a soft 'pop' and carefully poured the contents down Draco's throat.  
After a minute or so, the residual pain lessened and he closed his eyes in relief.  
He attempted to stagger to his feet but Pansy shoved him back down again. She ripped a button from her robes and transfigured it into a chair before aiding Blaise into lifting the young Malfoy heir into it.

"Pitiful." Bellatrix sneered but Draco blocked her out, his eyes landing on Harry.  
The boy met his eyes with difficultly, guilt evident in his stance.  
"Uphold your end of the deal, then, aunt."

The mad witch scowled thinly.  
"Are you sure you still want him?"  
Draco glared.  
"Aunt." His voice held no room for negotiation.

She reluctantly shoved Harry towards the other end of the yard.  
Hagrid soon followed and eventually the ex-Saviour was only a metre away.

He heard the slap of shoes on stone- Granger and the Weasel no doubt- as someone came running from behind to greet him.  
"Draco-" Potter began. Draco cut him off. "None of that first-name nonsense, Potter. You might mistake me for a human being."  
The words were said almost gently. He felt Pansy bristle at his side but she made no comment.

Whatever Harry was going to say next was drowned out by the cries from his two Gryffindor friends as they embraced him, sobbing with relief.  
Draco felt something tighten in his chest. Someone squeezed his shoulder and he stared up gratefully into Blaise's eyes.  
A few moments passed and the frantic murmuring from the Golden Trio faded into silence.  
"Malfoy-"  
Potter trailed off as he met Draco's gaze. Once upon a time the Slytherin would've made him beg for forgiveness. Right now he just wanted to sleep for about a thousand years. Then perhaps he'd hex him senseless for his incompetence.  
"Whatever, Potter. Sit down."

He shot Pansy a pleading look.  
The witch looked at him as if he was half mad and opened her mouth to tell him just that- that he had lost his mind- when his mother stepped in and ripped a button from Blaise's robes.  
"Hey!" He yelped. She ignored his pitiful protest and created a second chair.  
Draco smiled gratefully at her. He gestured at Harry and then the chair.  
Potter warily walked closer, slowly lowering himself into the chair. He glanced over his shoulder, probably looking for Granger and the Weasel.  
Draco ignored him.  
Hagrid lumbered forwards and waited at Harry's side, shooting suspicious looks at the Slytherins.  
Pansy and Blaise's eyes narrowed and it took a warning hand from Draco to stop them doing anything rash.  
"Don't." He whispered.

He wasn't strong enough to hold them off if they ignored him and went for revenge. He could barely stand and even though the potion was travelling through his system, soothing aching muscles and repairing nerve damage, it would still be a good few hours before he could walk unassisted. Without the potion? He doubted he'd ever fully recover.  
He wasn't surprised at the crucio's potency, however, not after hearing of Harry's godfather's death at Bella's hands, or seeing Hermione spasm on the floor as his aunt laughed.  
He just wished he hadn't been on the receiving end of it.  
He cleared his throat and met Bellatrix's eyes.  
"Well, Aunt, you wanted to hear my tale."

The witch nodded and walked forwards to where the edge of the barrier once was, two Death Eaters flanking her. As if practised, they each ripped a button off simultaneously and threw it to the ground.  
One became a chair, another a table, and the final one was a small tea set.  
Bellatrix sat down and the Death Eaters retreated to hover behind her chair.  
The whole thing was an odd clash between casual and terrifying.

Draco watched carefully as his aunt pulled a bottle from her robes and poured it into the teapot, followed by a small 'aguamenti' and a brief heating charm.  
He glanced to Harry who was practically ready to bolt.  
"Calm yourself, Potter, you look like a _stag_ in headlights."  
The boy shot him a glare before seeming to remember the situation and paling again. Draco rolled eyes. He fought a small smile.

Bellatrix smirked.  
"Listen to Draco, dear, you have very little to be afraid of. I couldn't hurt you or your mudblood friend if I tried."  
Draco observed Harry's knuckles whiten as he gripped the chair.  
His self-restraint was clearly running thin and Bella knew it.  
It was time.

"From the beginning?"  
She nodded.

"From the beginning."

—-

WELL DAMN, that got angsty fast. That whole 'crucio' bit was unplanned, it kind of just appeared on its own and I rolled with it. Hope you enjoyed…?

Yes, Draco is acting very OOC at this point but all will be explained in the coming chapters. This Draco has had very different experiences to get to where he is today and has a very different opinion of Harry, despite previously acting the same way towards him as in canon.

Our dear Slytherin is an excellent actor. 3

What do you think Draco is about to reveal?


End file.
